Hamilton care home being evacuated amid 'increasingly untenable and unsafe' situation

A Hamilton care home is being evacuatedamid a "deteriorating situation"the city says hasbecome "increasingly untenable and unsafe" for residents and staff.

Roughly 35 people living at Emerald Lodge Residential Care Facility will temporarily be relocated to the former Cathedral Boys School, according to a media release from the city.

The home is owned and operated by a numbered company, with Stefanie Martinoas its director, says the city.

However, a receiver, Grant Thorton Ltd., has been appointed. The city says the receiver terminated the operator of the lodge on Friday.

As of May, corporate records also namedStefanieMartinoasthe administrator of the Rosslyn Retirement Residence, which was evacuated following a COVID-19 outbreak that infected 64 residents and 22 staff members. Sixteen people died.

In the days after that outbreak, public health told CBC it was urgently inspecting eight homes connected to the same owners, including Emerald Lodge.

The Rosslyn's licence was stripped by the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority, a decision the home is appealing.

Inspections raised 'serious concerns'

Following an announcement Emerald Lodge was going into receivership, bylaw officers, public health and the fire department all carried out extrainspections, says the city.

"Serious concerns included the absence of on-site management supervision of the facility; the state of repair of the facility; the safety and security of staff and residents; staffing levels; inadequate infection prevention and control measures; and, the overall inability of the operator to meet the complex needs of residents," its release states.

It goes on to say that the inspections resulted in several orders and a notice to the lodge's operator that its licence would not be renewed at the end of the month.

A rundown of the inspections provided by the city includes references to apublic health examinationon Oct. 11 that uncovered a "pest infestation in a food storage area" and led to an order being issued about"prevention and control deficiencies."

In its release, the city says the situation at the lodge, which cares for older adults, those with disabilities or low incomes,worsened over the course of the week and, at the request of the receiver, Grant Thornton, staff began the "orderly and safe" relocation of those staying there.

Residents will undergo "assessment," says the city, but it's not clear where they will ultimately be moved.

The release says city staff are working with service partners to meet the individual needs of residents and to find long-term housing and promises more updates in the coming days.